Ch: 15 The Unfathomable Shiroha

The police force's large-scale actions quickly drew the attention of all the clans in the village. The current clan leaders of the Ino-Shika-Chō – Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chōza, and Nara Shikaku – were gathered together.

"Shikaku, what do you think the Uchiha are up to?" Chōza asked, his voice laced with anger. "My restaurant was shut down, they said it was unsanitary."

The Akimichi clan, known for their unique ninjutsu, were all rather large. To maintain their body fat, they had opened numerous restaurants in Konoha. But today, all of them had been closed by the police force.

"Are the Uchiha clan crazy?" Inoichi exclaimed, his voice laced with frustration. "They're charging protection fees from every shop in the village. If you don't pay, they close your shop. My flower shop was shut down too."

He was more confused than angry. He couldn't understand what the Uchiha were trying to accomplish.

"Hmm, the Uchiha's behavior is indeed strange," Shikaku agreed, his brow furrowed. "My pharmacy was also closed down."

The Nara clan, thanks to the Nara Clan Forest, ran the medicinal business in Konoha. Today, their pharmacy had been shut down by the police force, citing various reasons.

They were all angry, but they were also deeply puzzled. Why were the Uchiha doing this? Was it just to collect protection fees? They couldn't believe the Uchiha would go to such lengths for a little money.

The Uchiha already had a bad reputation in the village. Now, with their blatant extortion, their reputation was even worse. It didn't make sense for them to risk their reputation for a small amount of money. There had to be a deeper purpose.

"Do you think the Uchiha are planning to attack the Hokage?" Inoichi asked, his voice low. "You know, the Uchiha have been coveting the Nine-Tails for a long time."

"Attack the Nine-Tails? That's impossible!" Chōza exclaimed, surprised. "Do the Uchiha really have the guts to do that?"

"I just got word that the current leader of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Yūma, is imprisoned," Inoichi informed them. "The one in control now is a man named Uchiha Shiroha."

"I can't figure out this Uchiha Shiroha," Shikaku admitted, his brow furrowed. As Konoha's Jōnin Commander, Nara Shikaku was known for his sharp mind, but he couldn't decipher Shiroha's motives.

"Shikaku, what should we do now?" Inoichi asked, his voice laced with concern. "Our clan members are still being held by the police!"

Chōza nodded in agreement. The Nara clan was known for their intelligence, so the other two clans often sought their advice.

"We should just sit tight for now," Shikaku advised calmly. "Let's see how things play out."

He was a smart man. He wouldn't make a move until he had a clearer picture of the situation. The best course of action was to wait and observe. Besides, it wasn't just their three clans that had been affected by this.

The most affected were the Hokage and several of Konoha's major clans. The Hokage wasn't in a hurry, so why should they be? More importantly, the Uchiha must have had a reason for their audacious actions. The Ino-Shika-Chō clans were powerful, but they weren't foolish enough to challenge the Uchiha. They would let the Hokage take the lead. This wasn't just the Ino-Shika-Chō's sentiment; every clan in the village was waiting for the Sarutobi family's response. The Sarutobi clan leader, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was the Hokage. The Uchiha had sealed their properties, so why wasn't he reacting?

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura were gathered.

"Damn it, what are the Uchiha trying to do?!" Koharu exclaimed, her voice filled with fury. "Do they want to rebel? How dare they close our shops!"

"Yes! Not only did they closed down our shops, they arrested our clan members," Homura added, equally furious.

They knew that their two clans owned the majority of the seized properties. They had used their power to acquire these businesses over the years. If these industries were destroyed, it would have a devastating impact on their clans. They had worked hard to build their clans into powerful forces in Konoha. They wouldn't stand by and let them crumble back into insignificance.

"The Uchiha are too arrogant," Danzo growled. "We can't let them get away with this! They need to be taught a lesson!"

The Shimura clan had suffered a significant loss this time. Danzo had always despised the Uchiha and had been looking for a reason to deal with them. Now that the Uchiha had finally provoked them, how could he let this opportunity slip away?

Facing the three furious council members, Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, remaining silent. After a moment, he spoke.

"Well, this time the Uchiha have gone too far," he acknowledged. "Danzo, let your Root handle this."

He couldn't understand the Uchiha's motives for their recent actions. He was unsure of Uchiha Shiroha's intentions. He decided to let Danzo investigate the situation first before deciding on a course of action.

"Leave it to me," Danzo replied, his voice cold. "My Root will take care of this."

With that, Danzo returned to his Root base without hesitation. He led his Root members and infiltrated the Uchiha district under the cover of night. As they approached the Uchiha base, they were intercepted by patrolling Uchiha.